Description
If you are looking for the best things to do with kids in Somerset, this unique wildlife park and aquarium offers a fantastic family day out. Located near Watchet on the edge of Exmoor National Park, the attraction is ingeniously built inside a refurbished 1933 BBC radio transmitting station. It provides young children and school-aged kids with a wonderful environment to meet rescue animals, explore a tropical hall, and discover indoor and outdoor play spaces.
Standard day tickets start from £12.95 for children aged 2 to 15, while adult admission costs £16.95. Toddlers under two years old can join in the fun completely free of charge. Families can easily purchase tickets at the arrival counter or secure them online to use within a month of purchase.
If you are looking for the best place for a day out with family and kids, this interactive zoo balances animal conservation with nostalgic history. The combination of a nocturnal house, standard outdoor enclosures, and daily hands-on animal encounters ensures that parents and children stay entertained all day. It provides an ideal destination for an educational day out, whatever the British weather decides to do.
Features
- Paid
- Host birthday parties: Yes
Features
Key Features
- Historic Art Deco Base: Explore a fascinating reptile house and aquarium built inside an old 1930s BBC radio broadcasting bunker.
- Rescue Animal Sanctuary: Meet hundreds of birds, mammals, and creepy crawlies that have been safely rehomed at the facility.
- All-Weather Play Areas: Keep the kids active across dedicated indoor soft play structures and multiple outdoor wooden adventure playgrounds.
What makes Tropiquaria unique?
- The Reptile Hall: Housed inside the thick walls of the historic radio building, this atmospheric indoor hall is home to snakes, lizards, and tortoises. Children can get an up-close view of exotic cold-blooded creatures while staying warm and dry. It is a fantastic sensory space for introducing kids to biodiversity.
- The Aquarium Section: This underwater zone showcases an array of colourful tropical fish, freshwater species, and strange marine life. The compact layout is perfectly sized for toddlers to wander through without getting tired legs. Watching the fish glide past provides a calming, educational break during the day.
- Outdoor Animal Enclosures: Surrounding the main historic building are acres of open paths featuring meerkats, lemurs, and playful gibbons. Kids will love watching the active meerkats burrow or listening to the loud calls of the gibbons. It allows families to stretch their legs in a beautiful rural setting.
- Nocturnal House: This specially darkened environment tricks night-loving creatures into waking up during the day. School-aged children can practice tracking quiet movements behind the glass to spot unusual nocturnal species. It brings a brilliant element of mystery to a traditional zoo trip.
- Daily Animal Encounters: The zoo hosts regular structured talks and animal handling sessions where kids can ask real keepers questions. Brave youngsters might even get the chance to hold a snake or look closely at a giant insect. It transforms a regular viewing trip into a highly interactive, memorable lesson.
Specific Animals & Exhibits
- Glorious Gibbons: The active primates known for their agile climbing and loud morning songs.
- Meerkat Munchtime: A popular viewing station where families watch the pack forage for food.
- The Tapir Enclosure: Home to the unusual, large mammals that love a muddy wallow.
- The Otter Enclosure: A lively water space built to display the swimming skills of these mammals.
- The Reptile Hall Collection: A dedicated indoor array of geckos, pythons, and iguanas.
17.17 miles
